New FC Barcelona manager Hansi Flick, in his first interview as the club's manager, said that it is an 'honour' and a 'dream come true' for the German to be at the helm of the legendary club. The former Bayern Munich manager acknowledges the esteem and responsibility that comes with this job and assured the fans that the club will achieve new heights and rediscovered glory days of past in the next two seasons.
Joan Laporta has though faced huge criticism from the fans for the manner in which he is running the club, as majority of the Barcelona fans are extremely unhappy with the sacking of the legendary Xavi Hernandez. Hansi Flick has a huge task at his disposal to win these fans with great results.
Official Club Statement Of FC Barcelona On Hansi Flick
FC Barcelona released an offical club statement via their official website on Wednesday, May 29, and had the following to state:
"FC Barcelona and Hansi Flick have reached an agreement for the German to become men’s first team football coach until 30 June 2026. The new coach has signed a contract at the Club’s offices accompanied by FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta; first vice president responsible for the sporting area, Rafa Yuste and the Club’s sporting director, Anderson Luís de Souza, Deco."
"By bringing Hansi Flick as coach, FC Barcelona have chosen a man well known for his teams’ high pressing, intense and daring style of play which has brought him great success at club level and international level, winning pretty much all there is to win in the world of football."
"Born in Heidelberg, Germany in 1965, Flick started his coaching career back in 1996 as player-coach at FC Victoria Bammental. In 2000 he took over at Hoffenheim where he stayed for five seasons before moving to RB Salzburg to become part of the coaching staff under Giovanni Trapattoni and Lothar Matthäus."
"In August 2006 Flick became assistant coach to Jürgen Löw at the German national team following the resignation of Jürgen Klinsmann. Löw and Flick led Germany through a rebuilding phase and then to the final of the European Championships in 2008."
"In 2010 the team reached the World Cup semi-final, the same stage of the European Championships in 2012 before being crowned World Champions in 2014 in Brazil."
"After the success in the tournament, Flick stepped down as assistant coach to the ‘Mannschaft’ and took a job as sporting director at the German Football Federation (DFB) before returning to Hoffenheim in 2017 as sporting director. In the summer of 2019 Flick arrived at Bayern Munich as assistant to Nico Kovac."
"The Bavarian club went on to sack their Croatian coach after just months in the job and Flick was promoted to caretaker first team coach, a decision that was to change the course of Bayern’s history. After a good start, Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed Flick in the job until the end of the season. Flick recorded 22 wins in his first 25 games in charge, surpassing Josep Guardiola’s figures of 21 wins in his first 25 matches."
"The season ended with the Munich club winning a historic treble which included a painful 8-2 defeat for Barça in the Champions League at the hands of Flick’s team. The German coach was awarded the UEFA Coach of the Year award."
"After winning the Bundesliga, the German Cup and the Champions League, Bayern completed the set with victory in the German Super Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup, repeating the feat achieved by Pep Guardiola’s Barça in 2009."
"Striker Robert Lewandowski played his part in the team’s success, averaging more than a goal per game under Flick. In the 2020/21 season Bayern retained the league title before the coach informed the club he would be leaving to take on the German national team."
"After eight wins in his eight games in charge, Hansi Flick’s team lost to Japan in the 2022 Qatar World Cup and were knocked out of the tournament at the group stage. After more negative results, months later Flick was sacked as Germany coach."